


just can't get you off my mind

by AugustaByron



Series: pretty reckless, pretty wild [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Dating, Falling In Love, Kent Parson's Baby Fever, M/M, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 22:00:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14482101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AugustaByron/pseuds/AugustaByron
Summary: Dating Kent Parson is pathetically easy. Alexei is embarrassed of how easy it is.Tater and Parse have boyfriend sex, and live together, and finally even get around to talking about it. Maybe. We'll see.





	just can't get you off my mind

**Author's Note:**

> So I guess I brainwashed myself into shipping this? I don't actually know how to feel about that. 
> 
> Here by popular demand, the sequel to (you're) looking just like my type. 
> 
> Warnings: Parse's PTSD that he definitely doesn't acknowledge having! Discussion of Jack's OD as a suicide attempt. As always, please let me know if I've missed anything I should warn for. 
> 
> Title from "Your Love Is My Drug" by Kesha. 
> 
> Check, Please belongs to Ngozi Ukazu.

Dating Kent Parson is pathetically easy. Alexei is embarrassed of how easy it is.

“Wait, let me brush teeth first,” Alexei says when Kent goes in for a kiss after Alexei eats a Snickers, so the peanut remnants in his mouth don’t kill his boyfriend. “Don’t want you to die.”

Parse _pounces_ on Alexei’s dick. He gets deepthroated for not sending Kent into anaphylactic shock. This is what he means by too easy.

Alexei refills Kit Purrson’s water bowl, and Kent lets Alexei tie him up and edge him for _hours_. Alexei asks if his reading lamp is bothering Kent at night when Kent is clearly trying to go to sleep, and Kent rolls over and does inventive and filthy things with his beautiful, clever hands.

“Yeah, I can’t really sleep with the light on, could you turn it out?” Parse asks cheerfully when Alexei is panting and covered in bodily fluids. “Night!”

What the hell, Alexei wonders helplessly, would happen if he bought Kent flowers?

 

Kent stares at the bouquet like it’s going to come alive and murder him.

“Those are--flowers. I don’t know if this place has a vase.”

Alexei is not sure, but he thinks that Parse might be starting to hyperventilate.

“Check under sink,” Alexei offers. This is Misha’s apartment, which Alexei is allowed to stay in because Misha is in Russia for the summer. Misha might not have a vase, but Alexei is pretty sure that his girlfriend would have bought one, even just as a threat should Misha let it remain unfilled.

Kent goes to check under the sink like a man going to his doom. He returns with a vase made of red glass and an expression like he is about to be shot.

Alexei puts the flowers in water. It seems like Kent needs a minute.

“They are very pretty,” Kent says robotically. “I am--going. Now. Out. Going out. I have--a friend. To meet. I forgot to tell you earlier. Bye.” And then he bolts.

Alexei stares at the roses. The roses stare back.

This did not go as planned. 

 

The main problem, Alexei thinks, is that Kent is a disaster. Alexei says this with all the--not quite love, but something so close that it’s starting to scare him--in his heart. But Kent’s hobbies are basically “hockey” and “charity work” and “cat.” The only people he seems to like or trust are his sister and Jeff Troy, plus Troy’s wife and baby. And maybe some guy on the Aces named Scraps, which Alexei is pretty sure is an English synonym for trash.

“Dude, your nickname is a type of potato,” Parse says, when Alexei brings this up. “Leave Scrappy alone, he’s good people.”

There are other things, too. Parse, as far as Alexei can tell, has some kind of deep issue with showering or bathrooms. He also got very weird when they were trying to fuck in a club bathroom and found some guy doing cocaine. He will not discuss his childhood or time in junior hockey, and the one time Alexei brought up Zimmboni Kent just had very aggressive and distracting sex with Alexei to shut him up.

Still, Alexei kind of likes the guy. He is very easy to date in terms of effort, since the less Alexei puts in, the more Kent seems to like it.

Unfortunately, Alexei’s mama does not agree.

“He will make you lazy,” she complains. “I raised you to be a good boy, not to expect a lap dance for picking up your socks.”

“Mama,” Alexei groans. “Did you see the picture of him with the baby? I sent it to you.”

Kent has been doing a lot of charity work in L.A. He spends three afternoons a week at a sports camp for at-risk youth. Yesterday one of the girls at the camp had to bring her infant son because her childcare fell through, and for the past twenty-four hours Alexei has been subjected to countless pictures of Parse wearing a small pudgy baby in a sling. Snowy sent him three different versions. It has been torture.

“Yes. Does he want children? You should have some soon, before you’re too old.”

Alexei scowls. “Why don’t you ever tell Masha to have babies?”

“Your sister is busy,” Mama says. “She is working on the Hadron Collider, do you think she has time to have a baby? You, though, could make the time.”

“Oh no, Kent is home,” Alexei lies. Parse has been sitting on the couch scrolling through his phone the whole time that Alexei has been on Skype. The cat is sprawled over his lap. It makes something in Alexei’s heart twang. It is a good thing that Kent can't understand a word of Russian or else Alexei would be in serious danger of having overplayed his hand. “I have to go.”

“Ask him if he wants to adopt or use a surrogate!” Mama barks. Alexei hangs up on her.

“Your mom good?” Kent asks.

“Yes. She say to say hi,” Alexei says. Kent turns faintly pink.

“Oh. Hi back,” he says. “You talk to your mom about me?”

Alexei tells his mama everything. “Just that we are staying together at Misha’s for training.”

Kent visibly relaxes. “Oh. That’s cool.” He’s quiet for a minute, and then adds, “My mom doesn't know that I'm gay.”

Alexei goes very still, the way he used to do when Kit Purrson would come near and sniff his shoes. That was the only way not to frighten her away.

“She got really upset with me after the draft, when I wouldn’t stop calling Zimms.” Kent shrugs, looks down at his cat. “She said she didn’t let me do hockey and pay for all my equipment and stuff for me to wreck it all by being--you know. I guess she thought I would blow it my rookie year and ruin my career. So I told her that I got it together, and we just--” He waves his hand around in a little circle, like that means anything.

“You stop talking to her then?” Alexei asks.

“What?” Kent blinks at him. “No, man, she’s my mom. We just, you know.”

Alexei does not know, but he is not going to push right now. Instead, he goes over to the couch, leans down, and kisses Kent as slowly as he knows how.

“What was that for?” Kent asks when they finally break apart, voice hushed in the late afternoon sunlight.

“Kinda like you, Kent Parson,” Alexei says. Kent’s smile is small and pleased.

Yes. Alexei thinks he may be falling, here.

 

So it is time to call in reinforcements.

“It’s the offseason, I don’t have to give your dumb ass advice,” Snowy says. Alexei knows better. Snowy loves to give Alexei advice, or else he will start to feel inadequate.

“How do I tell boy that I am dating that I like him for real, and if feelings make him run away can I give up?” Alexei feels it is best to get all the tough questions out of the way at once. Usually he would call Little B with something like this, but that seems like a bad idea in this case. Little B has a complex about Parse that Alexei is refusing to ask about. He thinks he might know what it’s about, and he does not want to think about it.

Snowy sighs heavily. “Are we pretending that I don’t know who you’re dating?”

“Yes,” Alexei decides. He hasn’t asked Kent yet if they can tell people. Jeff Troy knows, but Alexei is not sure that Kent takes a shit without telling Troy about it.

“Okay. Then if you are dating some hypothetical guy--let’s call him Jent Karson--and he doesn’t make you try very hard, then I’d say you’re off the hook. Good job, you got lucky.”

Alexei does not want to be off the hook. He was off the hook the whole time they were fucking without talking about it, that seems like long enough.

“I want to take him on date,” Alexei decides.

“Do you just call because it’s fun for you to ignore me aloud?” Snowy complains. “If you want to take Lent Marson on a date, then ask him to go out with you. Don’t you live with him right now? I saw you on his Instagram.”

Kent’s Instagram is one of the most confusing things Alexei has ever seen. He’s pretty sure that Tito’s vodka is about to offer him an official sponsorship since all he does is put up pictures of himself doing shots. The other half is pictures of Kent teaching children how to play various sports, or cuddling shirtless with his cat. It’s terrible.

“He runs away when I am romantic, I think he is allergic,” Alexei explains.

“You just call so you can ignore me aloud,” Snowy says again.

“Just have to try harder,” Alexei realizes. “Give best advice Snowy, thank you.”

“I hate you, don’t call me until the preseason. Good luck, Tater Tot.” 

 

Alexei decides to try again. He will give romance a shot. He is going to take Kent Parson on a date.

“Where are we going?” Parse squints suspiciously at the suburban street. “Is this a prank?”

“Why would it be prank?” Alexei turns into the parking lot. “Told you we are going to do something fun.”

“That could be a prank,” Kent argues. His head whips around like he’s looking for more hockey players who could be participating in this prank of Alexei’s.

“Shut up, Mila Kunis,” Alexei says. He’s trying to be a good boyfriend, here. The internet told him that this was a classic date idea. He went on Yelp looking for good places. They have been driving for nearly an hour. This is going to work, damn it. “We are here.”

“This is mini golf,” Kent observes.

“Yes.” Alexei’s new strategy is just to refuse the bait. “We go and play mini golf. Come on.”

Parse, predictably, is an asshole about mini golf. He plays dirty, moves the ball with his foot and shit like that. It’s stupidly fun. There are a million families here, and Kent keeps getting dreamy about the babies.

“You like kids,” Alexei says. Somewhere in St. Petersburg, his mama is cheering.

“Yeah, dude. Who doesn’t like kids? Joanna’s the most fun of all time. I always wanted like a million kids, I just have to find some somewhere first and convince the government to let me keep them. Shut up, I gotta focus.” Kent lines up in front of a windmill with his tiny green golf club.

He looks like an idiot. Alexei wants to kiss him very badly.

“Ha! Eat it, motherfucker,” Kent crows as his ball rolls past the windmill’s blades. He shoots Alexei a smirk over his shoulder. “I’m kicking your ass, do they not have golf in Russia or something?”

And yes. Alexei still wants to kiss him. 

 

They get ice cream cones from the shop down the street from Misha’s apartment and walk back home slowly.  L.A. is too hot. Alexei hates it. Kent doesn’t seem to notice or care, which Alexei blames on the desert.

“So hey,” Kent says. He licks a drip of ice cream off of his own wrist, and Alexei almost swallows his tongue. “Is there anything you want to try?”

“Try?” Alexei croaks, trying to think.

“Like, sex.” Kent waggles his eyebrows. “I mean, you took me to mini golf and bought me an ice cream. I feel like I should put out or you’re gonna spread rumors about me in homeroom.”

What. Kent talks so much bullshit all the time. But--

“There is one thing,” Alexei says. Parse grins at him, slow and wicked. “Haven’t done it yet.”

“Is it freaky? Cause I’ve been good with all your new stuff so far.”

“Not freaky. Just different.” Alexei knows how to get Kent on board, how to get him to commit. “Don’t want to intimidate. Maybe you not want to try. Okay if scared.”

“Bring it, dude,” Kent says. And yes, Alexei will.

 

“Not what I thought you meant,” Kent gasps, when Alexei has him naked on the bed, spread out on his back. Alexei is working himself down onto Kent’s cock, slowly, carefully. He hasn’t done this in years. It’s been years since he’s wanted to, since he’s trusted someone enough.

“Already know you let me tie you up,” Alexei grits out. He rises up, sinks back down another inch. Kent’s hands are tight around his waist, clutching on for dear life. “Didn’t know if you let me do this.”

“I’d let you do anything,” Kent says, voice savage like it’s being ripped out of him, eyes blazing, and then he groans. Alexei hopes that he’s groaning about the sex and not because he’s embarrassed about having feelings. That’s happened before.

“Hold on for me,” Alexei croons. “Hold on, Parse.”

Kent bites his lip and holds on, lets Alexei go as slow or fast as he wants, thrusts up to help until sparks are dancing across Alexei’s vision. It’s not--he wouldn’t want to do this all the time, it’s not his favorite, but once in a while--

He falls apart like that, keeps grinding down on Kent after, leans down to murmur, “Let go, for me, so good for me,” and Kent comes sobbing.

After, Alexei is sacked out on his stomach, almost falling asleep. Kent is huddled against his side. It’s early evening, still light outside, the hum of the air conditioner the loudest thing in the apartment.

“I don’t--” Kent’s fingers are trailing over Alexei’s back, gentle, almost ticklish. It’s nice, lulling. “I only dated one person before you. This guy. I mean, we were kids. But I loved him a whole lot.” He’s quiet for a minute, and then he says, clearly forcing it out, “He tried to kill himself. Right after we had sex. Not, like, the first time or anything. It was normal. The sex, I mean. I went to take a shower and when I came back he was dying. I called 911 and then I put my pants on so they’d let me in the ambulance with him.”

Alexei was in the draft class before Kent and Zimmboni. It’s not like he doesn’t know who Kent is talking about. Everybody knows that they were--something. But--

“I’m sorry.” Alexei rolls over, reaches for Kent’s beautiful face, cracked open and waiting. Waiting for what? Alexei kisses him, closed mouth, just once. “Sorry that happened, Kent.”

“I know it’s too soon,” Kent says. “Like, we’ve only been together for a couple months. And the season--I don’t know what you want to do about it. But I thought I should tell you. I love you.”

This whole summer, Alexei’s felt like he’s out here alone, falling in love with Kent Parson. He’s felt--not replaceable, exactly, but amazed that nobody else ever bought Kent a sandwich and kissed him while they fucked, grabbed up all the love Kent was clearly ready to give. Relieved that Kent spoke up about it before Alexei was just another idiot who looked at all of Kent’s bullshit and took it at face value.

“Love you too.” Alexei kisses Kent again. “See? I told you. I’m best at dating. Only took one summer.”

Parse laughs and shoves at Alexei’s shoulder. He doesn’t have a cute laugh, which is always a relief. He needs something ugly or else he’d be insufferable. “Shut up, dude, way to wreck the moment.” 

“Not wrecked.” Alexei grabs Kent’s hand, kisses his knuckles. “Better. Best. Because I am best.”

“I hate you,” Kent complains.

“You love me,” Alexei says. He is allowed to be smug. Kent Parson loves him. It didn’t even take very long.

“I love you,” Kent says. “But you still suck.”

“Ask nice,” Alexei says, and tackles Kent back onto the bed.

They don’t do much talking for a while.

 


End file.
